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            <h4 style="text-align: center;">"LIVING IN A TURN-OF-THE CENTURY SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT"</h4>


            
            
            <h4 style="text-align: center;">By Robert 
O&rsquo;Hatnick</h4>


            
            
            <h4 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Reprinted from the 
Urbanite Magazine, November 2002<o:p></o:p></h4>



								
            
            
            <div class="Section1">

            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Recently, I led a walking tour of my neighborhood for a 
program sponsored by the Maryland Institute College of Art and the local chapter 
of the American Institutes of Architects.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>As the City of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place></st1:city>&rsquo;s most recent neighborhood to receive 
historic designation, Ten Hills was an obvious addition to the walking tour 
program.<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>



            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Ten Hills?<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Most 
people in <st1:city w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:city> at least know of Roland Park, 
Federal Hill, Govans, or <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Charles</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Village</st1:placename></st1:place>.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>But the mention of Ten Hills to local residents will draw blank 
stares.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>The neighborhood is tucked 
between large trees, and gentle hills at the western end of the city, south of 
Route 40, where <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address style="background-position: left bottom; background-image: url(res://ietag.dll/#34/#1001); background-repeat: repeat-x;" tabindex="0" w:st="on">Edmondson Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> cuts off to 
            <st1:place w:st="on">Catonsville</st1:place>.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span></p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Ten Hills does not show up on Olmsted&rsquo;s 1904 <i style="">Plan of Existing and Proposed Parks for the 
City of Baltimore</i>.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>At that time, the 
property was outside the city limits and was part of the P.S. Chappel 
estate.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>In addition to their work in 
planning for parks in the city, the Olmsteds were active in residential 
planning.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Frederick Law Olmsted designed 
            <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Sudbrook</st1:placename> 
            <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, and in 1893 Ed Bouton 
laid out Roland Park.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Suburban 
development was at its height at the turn of the century.</p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Charles Steffy, a prominent real estate developer, purchased 
the Chappel estate at auction in 1909.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>Steffy himself is credited for laying out Ten Hills, but the influence of 
Olmsted on the plan is obvious.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>The 
streets twist and turn around gentle hills.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>Vistas are constantly revealed as one walks the neighborhood.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Density is low, with lots averaging 100 x 200 
feet.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Nature fills the spaces between 
buildings.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Two hundred species of birds, 
along with raccoon and red fox share the neighborhood.</p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>By 1912, 26 homes had been built; today there are 224.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Periods of construction extended through the 
1980s.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>It&rsquo;s common in the neighborhood 
to see a row of 1960 ranch homes across the street from older and larger 
neo-Georgian and Tudor style homes.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Ten 
Hills is a living catalog of Twentieth Century housing styles.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Examples include Colonial Revival, Arts and 
Crafts, Greek Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Spanish Mission Revival, and 
Sears and Roebuck kit homes.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>One might 
conjecture that such a diversity of styles and sizes would present a picture of 
chaos and disorder.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>One the contrary, 
the overall scheme is tremendously successful, not because the homes are 
outstanding examples of their respective styles, but because the original 
landscape design remains intact and unifies the neighborhood.</p>







            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Steffy advertised Ten Hills as a garden community.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Vegetable plots shown on early photographs of 
the neighborhood are more difficult to find today.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Mature trees provide shade and block the sun 
that would be required for vegetable gardens.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>Flower gardening and landscaping is a passion for many residents.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>The impression today is not that of ordered 
rows of vegetables, but of masses of foliage and flowers that ramble throughout 
the neighborhood.</p>


            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Departing from his plan for Roland Park, Steffy did not 
design community and commercial properties in Ten Hills.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Ten Hills is a lovely place to walk in, 
through all seasons, with strollers a common sight from early morning to 
evening.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Places to walk to are limited, 
however.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>There are no book stores, 
coffee shops, restaurants, or even a place to buy the New York Times on Sunday 
morning without using an automobile.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>On 
the other hand, a grocery store and library are within walking distance, as are 
many churches.<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Ten Hills is a great place for children, with evidence of 
them and their play on sidewalks, lawns and driveways.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>But most children do not share the day at a 
neighborhood public school.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Local public 
schools lack support.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Children in the 
neighborhood attend private or parochial schools, some of which are within 
walking distance.<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">A May 9, 1915 advertisement in the <i style="">Baltimore American</i> noted that Ten Hills 
was only two minutes from Charles and <st1:city w:st="on">Lexington</st1:city> 
via the <st1:place w:st="on">Ellicott City</st1:place> trolley car line, the 
ride costing five cents.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>A 
transportation feature today would be that Ten Hills is five minutes from the 
Beltway and only twenty minutes from the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Washington</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">International</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>They trolley car line has been abandoned, and the right-of-way, still 
under the Maryland Department of Transportation, is being developed into a 
community garden.<span style="">&nbsp;</span><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Not every amenity we would like or need is close at 
hand.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>We&rsquo;ve surrendered our lives to the 
internal combustion engine.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Public 
education needs hard work and dedication.<span style="">&nbsp; 
            </span>We complain about leaf pickup and road repair.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>Not all the architecture fits the mold that 
Steffy envisioned.<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>




            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Yet when we celebrate our centennial eight years from now, we 
will be testimony that Ten Hills is a beautiful, vibrant, successful 
suburban/urban community, fulfilling Steffy&rsquo;s dream.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>When the neighborhood celebrates its 
bicentennial, will Steffy&rsquo;s dream still be alive?<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>



            
            
            <p class="MsoNormal">Bob O&rsquo;Hatnick AIA, is a principal at the Architectural firm 
of GWWO, Inc./Architects.<span style="">&nbsp; </span>He chairs the 
Ten Hills Architectural Design Review Committee.</p>


            </div>



								
            <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>

            </span></span>

								
            
            
            <h4 style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Verdana; letter-spacing: 3.6pt;">Ten 
Hills</span></b></h4>


            
            <h4 style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Verdana; letter-spacing: 3.6pt;"></span></b>Ten Hills a country oasis in the 
city</h4>


            
            <h4 style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;">Large lots, trees, 
variety of house styles attract buyers to old community</span></i></h4>


            
            <h4 style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;"></span></i><b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Verdana;">By 
Tawanda W. Johnson</span></b></h4>


            
            <h4><b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Verdana;">Special 
to The baltimore Sun</span></b></h4>

            
            <h4><b><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: Verdana;"></span></b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Originally 
published June 22, 2003</span><o:p></o:p></span></h4>


            
            <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Nestled atop rolling hills and winding streets off West 
Baltimore's Edmondson Avenue is Ten Hills, a city neighborhood that many refer 
to as a country oasis.<br>

            <br>

"The east side of Ten Hills backs up to a wooded, 
wetlands area along <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Uplands 
Parkway</st1:address></st1:street>," said Dana McKee, a resident since 1987 and 
president of the Ten Hills Community Association. "We have foxes, raccoons and 
beautiful birds. We essentially have urban living in a very suburban 
setting."<o:p></o:p></p>


            
            <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The country setting was the vision 
of Charles Steffey, a Baltimore real estate agent and developer, who purchased 
the property in 1909. The land originally was part of the summer estate of the 
Chappell family, which made its money in chemical manufacturing, banking and 
livestock farming, according to the book West Baltimore Neighborhoods: Sketches 
of Their History: 1840-1960, by Roderick N. Ryon. A fire destroyed the family's 
mansion in May 1899.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Formally known as Bellevue Estate, the property was 
renamed Ten Hills by the Chappells in the 1880s. Although it is unclear why the 
family chose the Ten Hills label, most residents said the name typically is 
attributed to the many rolling hills in this community.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Using the natural 
landscape to his advantage, Steffey envisioned a grand country setting that 
would hold a collection of homes that included a mix of architecture. Civil 
engineers Augustas Bouldin and Co. were hired to help create this vision. The 
community's first homes were built by 1910. Twenty-six were completed by June of 
1912.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Steffey expected the large lots filled with gardens and flowering 
shrubs to lure homeowners from the inner city. His expectations continue to be 
realized almost 100 years later.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Available homes in the neighborhood are 
priced in the $210,000 range. Most are about 2,500 square feet and have 
half-acre lots. They range in style from Tudor to Spanish colonial, Greek 
revival and Georgian.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"Property moves beautifully," said Freda Grim, who 
has lived in the area for 50 years. "Houses aren't on the market for long, 
[largely due] to the ambience and the trees. This area was at one time 
considered to have the heaviest amount of oak [trees], some 125 years old and 
older."</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">If location and atmosphere aren't attractive enough, Ten Hills 
also has an active community association.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"We do a block party every 
year," McKee said. "We have recently done a potluck party, and we have an iced 
tea social during the summer."</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The association is involved in landscaping 
the neighborhood and maintaining a community pool. The community association 
also holds annual meetings, deals with any problems raised by neighbors and 
works to prevent crime.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"Crime is low," McKee said. "We do have a crime 
committee keeping good relations with the Police Department, so if something 
does happen, it is quickly addressed."</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Also, the association has a hot 
line of sorts that informs residents of coming events and important community 
news. Residents are alerted by phone to problems in the neighborhood and planned 
meetings, Grim said.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Because Ten Hills recently was named a city historic 
district by the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, 
residents are eligible for tax credits for making some home 
improvements.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">With downtown Baltimore 15 minutes away and Washington an 
hour by train, Ten Hills has remained an attractive neighborhood for a diverse 
group of families.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"[Ten Hills] is just so convenient to everything," 
said resident Becky Bower. "You are right off the Beltway. One of our neighbors 
commutes to D.C. every day."</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Longtime residents who have watched the 
neighborhood grow and change said they like the fact that families with young 
children are moving to the area again.</span><br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">

            <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"For a while, we didn't get many 
families with children," Grim said. "But [one evening] I went out ... about 7 
o'clock, and I heard laughter, I heard children. ... Let's just say it did my 
heart good."</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>



								
            
            
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